Device for coding and decoding telephotographs



Jan. 2, 1928. R. w. TRUEBLOOD ET AL.

DEVICE FOR CODING AND DECODING TELEPHOTOGRAPHS.

FILED AUG. 311-921.

Fatented Jan. 2, 3923. I

DEVICE roacomne an]: nnconme rnmirno'roeaarss.

Application filed August 3, 1921-. $eria1 210,489,652.

mitted pictures or telephotographs, the principal object of our invention beingto provide a relatively. simple and practical devicethat may. be advantageously used for accurately and rapidly reducing a drawing, picture or photograph to a code, and which. latter may be transmitted by telegraph or other electrical means to a distant point,-

and which code, after transmission, may by the use of a duplicate device, be quickly and accurately decoded,- thereby enabling. the picture or photograph to be accurately reproduced at the receiving point.

The device contemplated by our invention will be of particular value to newspapers, for by the use of such device, newspapers and like publications will be able to recelve and publish pictures of important news events, occurring at a distance, within a very small fraction of the time now required for the bodily transmission of such pictures by mail or messenger.

The coding and decoding device depends for its operation upon the fact that the essential parts of all pictures are reducible to certain definite lines, and in turn these lines may be accurately represented by a series of dots so placed that when they are con nected the lines of the picture or photograph areaccurately reproduced. If, therefore, the relative positions of all of the dots thus representing the lines of the picture at the sending point are transmitted to a dis tant point, the line picture represented by these dots may be very accurately reproduced.

Briefly stated, our improved device includes two rulers or straight edges, each bearing a graduated scale and arranged at right angles to each other upon a flat surface, such as a drawing board. The rulers or straight edges are supported adjacent to their ends upon antifriction bearings so that j they may be readily moved bodily across the W. TRU

surface of the drawing board or like support, and said rulers orstraight edges being provided with markers or pointers that are constructed andarranged so as to 'facilitate the location of the points on the lines of a picture or the like, and also for the purpose of reading the graduations'on the scales. 4

With the foregoing and other objects in view,,oi1r invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and arrangement of parts that will behereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a telephotograph coding and decoding device of our improved construction.

Fig. 2' is a cross section taken on'the line 2'2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspectlve view of portions of the rulers 01 straight edges .of the device, and showing a slldmg block that is carried ba the upper one of said rulers or straight e es.

ig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the device, and showing a modified arrangement for obtaining greater accuracy of the points on the lines o a picture or telephotograph Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a sliding member that is mounted on one of the straight edges in the modified form of the device, and which serves as a support for the point or pencil that is utilized in coding and decoding a'telephotograph or picture.

Fig. ;6 is a perspective view of a pointer that is utilized on one of the rulers or device.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a practical embodiment of our invention, 10 designates the base of the device that may bein the form of a drawing board of wood or analostraight edges in the modified form of the gous material and having a fiat smooth top surface. Formed on the top of this base adjacent to its side edges, are parallel grooves 11, in the bottoms of which are arranged suitable rails 12, and formed in the base 10 adjacent its upper and lowervedges are grooves 13 in the bottom of which are arranged suitable rails 14. The grooves 11 and rails 12 are arranged at right angles relative to the grooves 13 and rails 14, and

the space on the face of the base 10 between -said grooves is adapted to be. occupied by of the drawin the drawing or picture that is to be coded for decoded.

Arranged to move freely over the surface 7 board between the rooves, 13 is a relative y thin narrow straight edge 15 that is preferably'formed'of .metal and its ends being supported upon small grooved- -wheels or rollers 16, andwhich latter are arranged for operation on therails 12. Ubviously,"other forms of rolling supports for the ends of the straight edge 15 may be provided, for instance, saidsupports may take the form of ball 'or rollerbearing operating on suitable tracks or raceways.

Overlying the straight edge 15 and arranged to move freely between the grooves 11 is a straight edge 17, the ends of which are supported by suitable anti-friction rollers or'bearings 18, and which latter are I uated scales,

decoded. Both rulers or straight edges are provided on their upper surfaces with gradreferably of themetric systerm, or U. S. tandard, and the graduations of said, scales are preferably provided with proper designating numerals in order to faequal to the thickness of the straight edge 15 between said straight edge 17 and the cilitate the coding and decoding operations.

Inasmuch as the straight ed e17 overlies the straighted e15, there wil be a space surface of the board or picture that is positioned thereupon, and. in order to fill this space immediately above the polnt of intersection of said straight edges, a block ,19,

preferably-or metal, and which is equal in thickness to the thickness of straight edge 15', is arranged for sliding movement on the under side of straight edge 17, and said block being retained on. the latter straigkht.

edge in any suitable manner, preferably means of small upwardly projecting ears or fingers 19*, the upper ends of which over- (see Fig. 3).

In the modified form of the device illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and'6, a substantially box-shape member 20 is arranged to slide freely upon the ruler or straight edge 15, the top of said sliding member being prolie the side edges of said straight edge 17 -vided with an opening 21, and extending transversely of said opening is a centrally arranged hair line element 22 that is utilized in connection with the graduations of the scale on'straight edge 15'. Projecting outwardly fromone' side of the sliding member20 is an arm 23 of resilient material, the outer end of which carries a vertically disposed tubular support 24' that is adapted aria a pencil or that" passes member 24' to receivethe pointed end of the like, and a set screw 26 through the wall of the tubular provides means for lockin ment to said tubular mem er.

A rranged for sliding movement upon the horizontally disposed straight edge 15 and on-the opposite side of straight edge 17 from the sliding member 20 is a relatively narrow band 27, the vided with a horizontally dis projecting pointer 28 that is a 1e the straight edge 17 the. graduatlons of the. scale thereon.

The operation of the device is substantially as follows: The photograph or other picture to be transmitted, or a line tracing thereof, is pinned osed: laterally apted to overthe picture fall within the range covered by the stralght edges in their movements over the board or base. In the event that the poiuted-eletop ofwhich is pro and co-operate with I onto the boarder base 10 1n such away that the essential partsof the matter being transmitted is in the nature I of a photographic print, it is desirable,

though not absolutely necessary, to have-the principal lines strengthened with pen or pencll and to arrange at suitable distances apart along said lines, a %ries of dots or polnts. After the been pinned onto the board or base 10, one

;of the lines of'the picture is selected for coding and the straight edges are manipulateduntil the point of intersection between the upper edge of member 15 and the right hand edge of member 17 is indirect ver tical alinement with the first predeterminedseen that the first predeterminedv point on the picture w ll be represented by two numbers or graduated points on the scales on point on the selected line. 1 Thus it will bepicture thus prepared has members'l5 and 17, and this-first pair of numbers is set down as the first numbers of the code and expressed, for'example, as 7.7 --54.5. Substantially the same operations are repeated until all of the dots or predetermined-points on the selected first line have been expressed in code numbers, andin thus ascertaining the code numbers of the points, it is necessary of course, to obtain said numhere from the graduated scales in the same relation that the first pair of numbers were obtained, that is the first number of each pair must be read from the vertical scale and the second number from the horizontal scale. The next line of the picture is taken and the (lot or point-ascertaining operations are 're-' peated until all of the principal lines of the produced, by telegraph or 'other means of rapid communication.

At the destination or receiving point an I;

apparatus exactly similar to the one used incodingthe picture is utilized by reverse Opinseam erations for decoding the transmitted 'num-f bers. A sheet of plain paper is pinned onto horizontal rulers or straigg; 1 these straight edges have 1O the board or table of the decoding device lee-- neath the straight edges and the 'first'point or the point that is in icated by the first pair of numbers may be accurately located by proper manipulation of the vertical and edges. en n manipulated to bring the first two code numbers of' the scales adjacent to the point of intersection between the upper edge ofstraight edge15 andthe right hand edge of straight edge 17 The straight edges are now mauipulatedto ascertain the second point on the line of the picture and WhlCh second point is represented by the second pair of code numbers and thus, as the operations are repeated, a

series of dots may be made upon the paper,-

and which dots represent the first line of the transmitted picture or photograph. The completion of this first line may be indicated in the transmitted code by some convenient word, such as Stop? The entire series of dots are then connected b a smooth line, and,which latter is necessari y an exact duplicate of the coded first line of the transmitted (picture. These operations are repeated until all of the lines sent by code have been r tioned on the receiving apparatus.

Where it is desired to reproduce lights and shadows or relatively dark and light portions of the original photograph, the instructions therefor may bescnt with the'code covering the outlines of the picture. For in- 40- stance a part of the code may read area from (as-52.4 to 10.34531 to its-sea to 6.758 solid black.

Another area similarly marginal points may be descri d as a pure white, light or dark gray, or shaded 'into white or black, thus giving very accurate di-' rections for shading or coloring the picture reproduced at the receiving station. A general description of the photograph or picture in ordinary English and preceding the code numbers, will be of valuable assistance to the decoder, particularly if the latter is totally unfamiliar with the picture that is to be received.

For very fine or close work, we have devised the hair line carrying slide 20 and the pointer carryin slide .27, and theseparts will-be found a vantageous where the dots or points to be coded or decoded great frequencyin a given line. When the parts 20 and 27 are used upon the straight edges, the vertical member 17 is moved to a position toward the left away from the immediate vicinity where a line is being pointed, by the use of a pointer member or pencil transmission ofthe code numbers.

des'cribed on the. sheet of paper po'sithe same method and apparatus must may - e r desi' ated by its occur with inserted through the'tubular member 24 of resilientarm 23, and as member 20 is shifted lengthwise upon straight edge 15, the-readings on'the graduated scale .on said member may be obtainedb y noting the position of hair line member 22', and the point on graduated scale on thestraightedge17 "is read fromthe pointer 28. The point making im ple'ment'or the pencil that is positioned'ontubular'member Qetmay-be moved downward by the application of sufficient pressure to overcome the resistance of sprin arm 23',

and after the point has bee-n ma e and the pressure upon thev pointer or pencil relieved,

the resiliency of spring arm 23 will immediately elevatethe pointer-or pencil-s0 thatthe samewill not mark or mar the paper when the device is moved to the-next-position on vthe linethat is being coded ordecoded.

Whichever methodiior" apparatu i g From the general description of the picture preceding the transmission of the code, the

decoder may decidewhich method is preferable in any givencase, orthe person transmittin'g the code may indicate. the method and apparatus utilized before starting the bviously', be used in decoding that was used .in coding the transmitted picture.

' A device of our improved construction is relatively simple, may be easily and cheaply produced and provides efiicient means that be advantageously used. for the comparativel rapid coding and decoding of electriclsl y transmitted pictures or telepho- It will be understood that minor changes in size, form and construction of the various parts of our improved device for coding and decoding telephotographs may be made and. substituted for those'herein shown and. described without departing-from the spirit of our invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

h We claim as our invention:

1. In a device for coding and decoding telephotographs,

ing 'a grad with said scale bearin members for rapidly and accurately rea mg the graduations thereupon. 1

2. Ina device for coding and decoding telephotographs, the combination with a member having a supporting surface, 'of a pair of graduated. scale bearing members a member having a suportmg surface, a pair ofmembers arranged pair of graduated scale beari-n angularly arranged for indepen ent move- .angularly arranged for independent ovement over said supporting surface and means cooperatin with sald scale bearing mombers for e ectmg a rapid and accuratereading of the gr'aduations thereupon.

3. In a device for codin ,and decoding telephotographs, the comb natlon with a member having a supporting surface, of a members pair of graduated scale-bearing members angularly arranged for independent movement over saidsupporting surface, pointers,

adjustably arranged on said members for accurately reading the graduations of the scale thereupon, and a resilient support for. a pointed member carried by one of said pointers.

5. In a device for coding and decoding telephotographs, a member having a supportingsurface', guiding means thereupon angularlydisposed stralght edge members supported by'said guiding means and arran ed to move freely over said supporting sur ace, each of which straight edge mem bers bears a graduated scale and means cooperating With said straight edge members for effecting a rapid and accurate reading of the graduations thereupon.

6. In a device for coding and decoding telephotographs, a member having a supporting surface, a pair of graduated scale bearing members arranged for independent movement over said supporting surface, said members being angularly disposed with respect to each other and means carried by one of said graduated scale bearing members for effecting a rapid and accurate reading of the graduations .of the scale thereupon.

7. In a device for coding and decoding which member pointer, and a designating element for read 7 portingsur ace, a pair of raduated vsce bearing members arranged or independent movement OVQISfild supporting surface said 'telephotogra he, a member having a sirmembers being angularly disposed wit respect to each other and meansmounted for movement u on one of said scale bearing members an adapted to cooperate with the other scale bearing member forefi'ecting a rapid and accurate reading of the graduationsof said scales.

8. In a device for telephotographs, porting surface, a pair of raduated scale bearing members arranged or independent movement over said supportingsurfaces, said members being angularly disposed with respect to each other and a member arranged for movement upon one of said scale bearing members, which member includes a support for a pointer and means for ,efiiectin an accurate reading of the graduations o the scale upon which said member. is mounted.

9. In a .device for coding and "decoding telephotographs, the 'combination with a member having a supporting surface, of a pair of graduated scale bearing members arranged for independently moving over said supporting surface, said members being anarly disposed with'respect to each other a member arranged for sliding movement upon one ofsaid scale bearing members, includes a support for a ing the graduations of the scale on the mem ber upon which said sliding member is mounted, anda pointer mounted for sliding movement upon one of said scale bearing members and cooperating with the other scale bearing member for efi'ec-ting an accucoding and decoding a member having a-s-up rate reading of the graduations of the scales on both of said scale bearing members.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this s ecification' RA PH W. TRUEBLOOD.

. AVA M. ROOLEN' 

